Simplest learning point tonight. Keep feet underneath your hips so you can maximize the large hamstring muscle group in those legs. Good runners pull straight up!
Make your work a calling not a career. Endurance focused passion.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Two Minute Tuesdays: Don't Kick out the Back
You can never do enough technique work whether its running, CrossFit, swimming, cycling, gymnastics ... you name the activity the software is involved. Check out the quick video we have for you runners this week who think pulling out the back is okay.
Simplest learning point tonight. Keep feet underneath your hips so you can maximize the large hamstring muscle group in those legs. Good runners pull straight up!
Simplest learning point tonight. Keep feet underneath your hips so you can maximize the large hamstring muscle group in those legs. Good runners pull straight up!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Drink Water Much?
Man it was hot out this Memorial day weekend and with summer coming quick in Hilton Head it's time to throw out a reminder on Hydration. Before we get started, I want to commend Head Coach of CFHH, Craig Hysell on a phenomenally well-written blog, Are You Exercising or Are you Training? If you have 5minutes its worth your time. Especially if your an athlete who can't understand why your not progressing. Piggy backing on Coach Craig, hydration differs from the every day exerciser to someone who is training. Folks who are exercising typically don't think about their fluid intake those who are seriously training put hydration on a pedestal. It's really that hidden tool in the shed for so many folks in life and training.
What makes hydration so important? How long can you go without food? A week, two weeks its about a month actually. Now how about water? Try 1-3days tops. Fluids account for about 50-60% of body weight and when it comes to lean tissue (meaning organs, muscles, anything other than fat) its about 72-75%. That's right your lungs and heart need water to function.
Why else is it important?
Well before we even start the sexy list, number one has to be just a mere 2% dehydration of the body WILL reduce performance of an athlete. Other fun facts...
Did you know that research shows that 9 out of 10 College football players step onto the field at mild dehydration levels? That means it's an every level of athlete kind of thing. What's most important here is that if you're really TRAINING this post is important to you. Nutrition - Hydration - Electrolytes need to all be treated separately. You have to track this stuff because as we all not at the base of performance lies Nutrition. I just started training a younger athlete whose a top the ranks of our Bluffton Cross Country Team and this was one of the first questions I asked. How's the hydration? How many ounces are you getting in per day? It seems like the smallest of tweaks, but by nailing down a focus on it and treating it separately in training is key.
Coaches out there don't let your athletes get away with poor hydration or an electrolytes imbalance. One of the most common symptoms is irritability. Do you really want irritable athletes? You're the first line of defense guys. Here are a few quick tips for everyone TRAINING out there...
1. Weigh yourself before and after a workout (endurance athletes hit a 60min TT run) for every lbs. you lose from your body weight drink at least 16ounces to replenish.
2. Sell water bottles and electrolytes at your gym. We're working on getting our Endurance team some sweet water bottles so they not only drink more water, but advertise to the public when their not telling their friends how awesomer their workouts are.
3. Avoid them beers and shots at the bar. I know this is tough one for most. Myself included, but if you're really dedicated in the heart of training say at least a month out. Shut it down. I've got Muncie 70.3 coming up July 13th and I'm in that boat. What are you willing to do to achieve your goals is always the question?
That's a wrap gang. Don't forget that usually the bigger the challenge smaller the solution and the smaller the change the greater the impact...
Why else is it important?
Well before we even start the sexy list, number one has to be just a mere 2% dehydration of the body WILL reduce performance of an athlete. Other fun facts...
- Water helps transfer glucose, oxygen and fats to the muscles - Muscles need energy to contract folks, make sense?
- Eliminates waste products - gets the bad stuff out!
- Absorbs heat from your working muscles - meaning they contract better ... see a theme?
- Regulates body temperature - mechanism is important especially you endurance athletes who enjoy the summer race scene
Did you know that research shows that 9 out of 10 College football players step onto the field at mild dehydration levels? That means it's an every level of athlete kind of thing. What's most important here is that if you're really TRAINING this post is important to you. Nutrition - Hydration - Electrolytes need to all be treated separately. You have to track this stuff because as we all not at the base of performance lies Nutrition. I just started training a younger athlete whose a top the ranks of our Bluffton Cross Country Team and this was one of the first questions I asked. How's the hydration? How many ounces are you getting in per day? It seems like the smallest of tweaks, but by nailing down a focus on it and treating it separately in training is key.
Coaches out there don't let your athletes get away with poor hydration or an electrolytes imbalance. One of the most common symptoms is irritability. Do you really want irritable athletes? You're the first line of defense guys. Here are a few quick tips for everyone TRAINING out there...
1. Weigh yourself before and after a workout (endurance athletes hit a 60min TT run) for every lbs. you lose from your body weight drink at least 16ounces to replenish.
2. Sell water bottles and electrolytes at your gym. We're working on getting our Endurance team some sweet water bottles so they not only drink more water, but advertise to the public when their not telling their friends how awesomer their workouts are.
3. Avoid them beers and shots at the bar. I know this is tough one for most. Myself included, but if you're really dedicated in the heart of training say at least a month out. Shut it down. I've got Muncie 70.3 coming up July 13th and I'm in that boat. What are you willing to do to achieve your goals is always the question?
That's a wrap gang. Don't forget that usually the bigger the challenge smaller the solution and the smaller the change the greater the impact...
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Back to the Roots
To cap off my trip this morning, I went for a 5mile "Rave Run" at the Lafayette Reservoir Park in Lafayette, CA. A rave run for those who don't know is a run where there are no expectations, but to simply get out there and run a scenic trail, road or course because of the breath taking surroundings with the fact being that you may just never have the opportunity again. Getting to the top of the first hill this morning it hit me. The message of why I run and the enjoyment I receive from it was so ever clear... I found myself at the top of steep CA mountains peering out over the beautiful reservoir with the ability to see for miles. It felt like I had straight up freedom and that I was meant to be there this morning. It felt like I was back to my roots...
It's obviously been a big month in my life ... stepping down as Fitness Director to shift gears into solely focusing on my passion of training and coaching has been the best decision of my life. I don't think we always truly understand how we feel at certain points over our time on this planet. Sometimes we're too busy to notice or we might be scared to face the facts. For many of us, life itself can simply push us away from what we truly want to achieve ... There are so many factors on why and how someone lives their life and trying to understand these factors can be quite difficult. The greatest gift of all would have to include having a highly level of emotional intelligence (EI). Understanding why we feel the way we do at every moment would be an absolute privilege.
What I do know as a Coach and an athlete is that understanding your emotions in the realm of training for a race is quite important. Your emotional profile affects the progress and recovery within your training...
Just for Fun - many athletes just want to have fun every time they compete in a race. Probably the best profile to have and the most common. These are the age group athletes that understand they're participating because its fun and they enjoy it. They don't want to be beat up or struggle. For the majority, these are the emotions desired. The ability to successfully run a race, feel good, and smile the whole way. What could be better? Feelings to balance: Happiness, Enjoyment and Excitement.Continuing to do it for those reasons comes naturally to these folks.
Accomplishing the Impossible - Ever set that training goal you never thought would happen? I've worked with all levels of people and when it comes to seeing someone hit their goal this is the crew that provides the biggest emotional rush on my end as the coach. Whether the goal was to lose 100lbs and be able to play with their kids, running that first 5K or tackling a marathon its quite inspiring we these folks get to their peak. It's also the crew that has to balance their emotions the most because they lack self efficacy (the belief that they can do it). I think it has to do with the image of the challenge being impossible, lack of confidence just for the mere fact that they haven't been there or done it before. Nike has a phrase "Just do it," these folks are successful when they just do it one day at a time. The right people always seem to get there. Feelings to Balance: Self Doubt, Fear and Intimidation. Keeping enough confidence to keep going when the challenges keep popping up.
Have to PRs - As an athlete, I fall into this category. Yes, you need to be this person in order to be competitive, but it takes a lot of balance so that you can still live your life. This person has to be regimented, disciplined and structured in order to be successful, but at what cost? Its important be careful with someone who exhibits these emotions as the line they walk is a fine one. Coaching this athlete is tough, but the best way to do it is to connect with their sense of achievement weekly so that they have palpable progress and make sure that they're not getting tired or burning themselves out. Asking how they feel quite regularly is critical. Above all, this person still needs to have fun. Feelings to Balance: Sense of achievement, discipline and fatigue. Making sure these athletes hang on to the true benefits of competing and achieving.
The Bay to Breakers was a straight up FUN day and it was just what I needed in my training cycle. Given my transition in life it was the right timing and for that I am truly grateful. If you as an athlete aren't having enough fun schedule a "B" race or a Rave Run. I had the opportunity to stay with an incredible former wellness coaching client these past 5days. She's someone that has invested as much in me as I have in her and I am truly grateful for the relationship. She gave me the star treatment these past 5days paying my entry into Bay to Breakers (more a party), wine tasting in Napa, siz row seats at a Giants baseball game, a trip to "The Rock" and to cap it all off a day of exploring on 17mile drive at Pebble Beach.
These are memories I'll always have, but what I'll remember the most is my morning 5mile run thru the Lafayette Reservoir that brought me back. Standing a top the CA mountain crests just straight up soaking in the fresh air and running thru the dirt hills allowing me to be within myself. Thank you Allyson for this very crucial gift at the right time.
As an athlete and a coach sometimes you have to get back to your roots. A lot of the time you have to get more connected with your emotions. Emotions need to be controlled. They need to be understood. Emotional intelligence is not only the marker of a great athlete, but a marker of someone who gets the most out of life. Don't ever discredit the impact that those things make...
Bay to Breakers 2013
Time: 45:36
Pace: 6:07 - Haynes St Hill ... mad steep!
Place: 109th out of 22,467
Result: Heck a ton of fun. Ran back 3miles thru the race to be within the party!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Making the Hard Decision
Every day in life we make decisions. Decisions can be small, big, horrible, smart, life changing .. As living breathing humans we have to understand that they come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. This week marks my last week officially as the Fitness Director at Hilton Head Health just recently voted #1 Weight Loss Spa in the Country by Fox News. I never thought this week would come, but what I do know is that this decision was not only the biggest of my life, but the toughest and life changing for many reasons.
The guests I've Coached and Trained - its incredible to train or coach someone who was once 100 lbs heavier or to work with that person whose never lifted a weight or exercised a day in their life. Its absolutely inspiring.
The H3 Family - Adam, Bob and Robert of HHHealth have taught me so much. They taught me how to be role model for others, how to grow professionally and how to educate myself and show my passion for healthy living. I know I'm a better person today because of every staff member of the H3 family.
The memories - Countless positive memories. From the day I stepped in as an intern they quickly began. Every memory from my first "Fit Week" to falling off the treadmill in Cardio Central or even being a part of the A&E Heavy TV Show Series. I started and grew our H3@Home Wellness Coaching and took the lead on Devins Dash a 5K race in memory of one of our fellow co-workers. I am truly grateful and humbled by all these memories.
I could write a book about my time at Hilton Head Health. What I do know is that I am moving on for the right reasons and I am a better person because of my time spent in those walls. I can now dial in on my training, coaching, and grow my knowledge of evidenced based endurance training. I'm following my passion. There really is no risk involved now.
What do you think is one of the toughest decisions for the endurance athlete? I think it comes down to that initial jump from long slow duration training to CrossFit Endurance. I hear it all the time at seminars ...the questions in the back of the room ... "What about my 20mile run? or 100mile bike? How is it possible to be ready on race day without doing so much distance?" It's entirely possible.
If you haven't checked out the June 2003 CFJ article, "Metabolic Conditioning" by Greg Glassman please give it a read. It explains how intervals do the trick. If you're not a journal member sign up. Glassman discusses energy pathways and how training these different pathways allows us to reap the same benefits of a typical endurance athletes protocol. Metabolic Conditioning can be achieved thru different intervals such as "Tabata Training" which we've heard the study of the 4minute workout group that trounced the 60min steady state workout group when it came to VO2 improvements. Dr. Stephen Seiler renowned Exercise Physiologist wrote an article called "Understanding Intervals" where he talks about 1st and 2nd wave endurance adaptations reached by training the phosphagen and glycolytic systems and 3rd wave adaptations that come specific to the sport. Dr. Seiler believes by focusing on the 1st two (E.I. CrossFit) it broadens the cardiovascular stimulus. There was also a recent blog on "Why Women Shouldn't Run" It caused quite the stir at our box, but convincing it is...
At CFHH, I see these adaptations with our athletes. Each week we focus on a short interval and long intervals specific to the sport and it continues to prove the research behind anaerobic impacting aerobic. The simplest distinction between theses two training stimulus is that Anaerobic does not require oxygen for energy, aerobic training does. Anaerobic impacts aerobic, but not vice versa.The fact of the matter is that there are winning rowing programs that train all intervals. Police training programs in Florida who have found that CrossFit produced better run distance times than prior programs. Numerous evidenced race results by CFE athletes going anaerobic coupled with a few third wave workouts (tempo and time trials). One of our Athletes recently ran her first marathon a week ago at the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lindsay Martin ran 3:32 qualifying for Boston 2014 and placing 14th Age group in her first shot with not too much aerobic training. The longest run Lindsay completed prior to the race was 15miles (purely to test the nutrition). She coupled her 4 CrossFit Workouts per week with 3 Run Specific CFE WODs.
The most important point of today's blog is to remember that high intensity efforts can produce dramatic aerobic benefit without the muscle wasting seen with endurance training. Take the sprinter verses the marathon runner body type. Quite a different picture huh? The toughest decision is putting the trust in this though. I get it. You won't get your 3hour training run any more, but are you willing to dial it back for the bigger benefits?
Quick how to on training the Pathways
Phosphagen ... 10-30sec... 30-90 sec recovery ... 1:3 recovery ratio ... Reps 25-30 ... Example run specific workout would be 50m-100m sprints, 200m for elites.
Glycolitic...30-120sec...60-240sec recovery (you would want to shorten the recovery as you gained fitness)...1:2 recovery ration...Reps5-15... Example run would be 200m to 600m
Oxidative...120-300sec...120-300sec...1:1 recovery ratio...Reps3-5...Example run would be 800m, 1200m up to mile repeats. *All these must be trained with the ability to hold the technique
Its a hard decision making the switch to the CrossFit Endurance model when your used to regular endurance training.Can you agree though that sometimes the hardest decisions turn out to be the best?
The H3 Family - Adam, Bob and Robert of HHHealth have taught me so much. They taught me how to be role model for others, how to grow professionally and how to educate myself and show my passion for healthy living. I know I'm a better person today because of every staff member of the H3 family.
The memories - Countless positive memories. From the day I stepped in as an intern they quickly began. Every memory from my first "Fit Week" to falling off the treadmill in Cardio Central or even being a part of the A&E Heavy TV Show Series. I started and grew our H3@Home Wellness Coaching and took the lead on Devins Dash a 5K race in memory of one of our fellow co-workers. I am truly grateful and humbled by all these memories.
What do you think is one of the toughest decisions for the endurance athlete? I think it comes down to that initial jump from long slow duration training to CrossFit Endurance. I hear it all the time at seminars ...the questions in the back of the room ... "What about my 20mile run? or 100mile bike? How is it possible to be ready on race day without doing so much distance?" It's entirely possible.
If you haven't checked out the June 2003 CFJ article, "Metabolic Conditioning" by Greg Glassman please give it a read. It explains how intervals do the trick. If you're not a journal member sign up. Glassman discusses energy pathways and how training these different pathways allows us to reap the same benefits of a typical endurance athletes protocol. Metabolic Conditioning can be achieved thru different intervals such as "Tabata Training" which we've heard the study of the 4minute workout group that trounced the 60min steady state workout group when it came to VO2 improvements. Dr. Stephen Seiler renowned Exercise Physiologist wrote an article called "Understanding Intervals" where he talks about 1st and 2nd wave endurance adaptations reached by training the phosphagen and glycolytic systems and 3rd wave adaptations that come specific to the sport. Dr. Seiler believes by focusing on the 1st two (E.I. CrossFit) it broadens the cardiovascular stimulus. There was also a recent blog on "Why Women Shouldn't Run" It caused quite the stir at our box, but convincing it is...
At CFHH, I see these adaptations with our athletes. Each week we focus on a short interval and long intervals specific to the sport and it continues to prove the research behind anaerobic impacting aerobic. The simplest distinction between theses two training stimulus is that Anaerobic does not require oxygen for energy, aerobic training does. Anaerobic impacts aerobic, but not vice versa.The fact of the matter is that there are winning rowing programs that train all intervals. Police training programs in Florida who have found that CrossFit produced better run distance times than prior programs. Numerous evidenced race results by CFE athletes going anaerobic coupled with a few third wave workouts (tempo and time trials). One of our Athletes recently ran her first marathon a week ago at the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lindsay Martin ran 3:32 qualifying for Boston 2014 and placing 14th Age group in her first shot with not too much aerobic training. The longest run Lindsay completed prior to the race was 15miles (purely to test the nutrition). She coupled her 4 CrossFit Workouts per week with 3 Run Specific CFE WODs.The most important point of today's blog is to remember that high intensity efforts can produce dramatic aerobic benefit without the muscle wasting seen with endurance training. Take the sprinter verses the marathon runner body type. Quite a different picture huh? The toughest decision is putting the trust in this though. I get it. You won't get your 3hour training run any more, but are you willing to dial it back for the bigger benefits?
Phosphagen ... 10-30sec... 30-90 sec recovery ... 1:3 recovery ratio ... Reps 25-30 ... Example run specific workout would be 50m-100m sprints, 200m for elites.
Glycolitic...30-120sec...60-240sec recovery (you would want to shorten the recovery as you gained fitness)...1:2 recovery ration...Reps5-15... Example run would be 200m to 600m
Oxidative...120-300sec...120-300sec...1:1 recovery ratio...Reps3-5...Example run would be 800m, 1200m up to mile repeats. *All these must be trained with the ability to hold the technique
Its a hard decision making the switch to the CrossFit Endurance model when your used to regular endurance training.Can you agree though that sometimes the hardest decisions turn out to be the best?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
What's your Engine Running On?
"To perform your best in training or competition, and to recover afterwards, you need to be properly fueled." – 3Fuel
Ever get crazy GI issues after a long endurance event? At the Charleston marathon, I really struggled with this dilemma after taking numerous types of Gels. Yeah I went sub 3 hours, but for about 3 hours after the race my body didn't feel so hot. This leads me to my next point.
Have you tried 3Fuel yet? I’ve been using 3Fuel quite
regularly in the mornings for a quick breakfast paired with a piece of fruit before a
workout. It’s sat quite nicely. It doesn’t taste amazing, but from a
performance perspective you really can’t go wrong. The cleaner you eat the
better it seems to work.
As most of us know, you can train all we want, but if
the nutrition isn’t planned on race day you’re screwed. Obviously you don’t
want to do too much on race day and often times I find myself using the course, but that requires a consistent replenishment ... timed. 3Fuel
is one option to think about testing before your next event.
CrossFit Endurance was set on creating a clean product that
could be used across multiple intensities and distances and I think they've found it. So
what’s in it? How does it work?
Calories 195 per 2 Scoops (not that this matters)
Saturated Fat 5g
Total Carbohydrate 20g
Protein 20g
3 Fuel is made up of wazy maze, which is a resistant starch that prevents glucose from dropping. It's got about 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats. So it's pretty straight forward to hopefully how you're already eating. Watch the video below and test for yourself.
I haven’t had a ton of race experience with it, but during
my Ironman in Louisville I used this stuff for the first five hours. It sat
really well and I didn’t feel any fade on the Bike. I’ve found that I still
like to “EAT” something in long events so we’ll see what happens as I gear up
for Muncie Indiana. I am continuing to use 3Fuel regularly in my day to day
training. Your body has two energy systems. Glycogen worth about 2,000 calories
that needs to be replenished or fat that can hold about 40,000 calories of
energy. Which sounds better to you?
Remember nutrition is the foundation of the training. The
question comes down to … What are you willing to do to be at your best?
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Magic IN Misery
Another interesting week of experiences, learning, and testing. I just wrapped up watching episode two of Genetic Potential Television and man did the interview with Dean Karnazes fuel my fire to keep learning more. Have you heard of him? You know Ultra Marathon Man? Well if you haven't he's got some great books out their such as "Ultra Marathon Man" and "50/50". Some may think he's crazy, but he does what he does to get that person whose been on the coach for five years up and walking a 5K. This is a guy whose run for 350miles straight...what are you waiting for folks? His next quest is to do a marathon in every country on the planet. I'm speechless.
Listening to BMack and Kelly interview this guy was pretty cool. All great athletes are humble and Dean isn't outside that norm. He started the interview and said their is "Magic in Misery" ... I like that because when he went on further Dean mentioned adversity introduces a man to self-discovery. Think about that, when you've been faced with a challenge what did you discovery? If you don't push yourself to failure you're not able to learn.
There are countless experiences in life where we've had epic failures. I remember Boston 2012 when I left the sodium tabs in South Carolina and the time I totaled my car within 1month of having my license. Nice. What's important about these moments is that there's a lot of magic in the misery of each of them. Sure I cried like crazy when I had to tell my parents about the car and of course it sucked not being able to drive for another 6months, but there was magic there. Oh and Boston? Ya it felt great seeing my best friend puking at mile 18 and barely being able to drag myself into the medical tent at the end of the race? Awesome. It took 9 bottles of water before the dizziness and GI problems subside. In each of those moments of misery there was magic.
The magic is...the next time you won't make that mistake again
The magic is...you can share a good laugh with others about how stupid you were
The magic is...others will benefit from what you learned that day
The magic is...you realize that your human and that you make mistakes (wait I'm not superman??)
The magic is...there will always be another shot if you're willing to take it
The magic is...you become stronger and grow
The magic is...you've created a new standard for yourself
The magic is...life provides us the opportunity to fail
You've met those people that get bogged down in their own misery. Don't be that person. Don't look at it that way. What I've learned about life is that the greatest gift of all is this opportunity to fail. Not only because you grow, but you can affect others just like Dean.
The chapters of our lives get more detailed because of this opportunity to fail and although we don't always have complete control over these failures there's so much magic in the misery of them that makes each of our books so interesting... The question is: How will you write your book?
Skill 101: C2 Rower
I had client this week that told me they were "great at rowing" I got excited and said "Well, I can't wait to see your technique!" Just like running its takes very few seconds to see how someone moves. You may not even need to see them run. I know BMack can look at how someone sits and determine it easily. What I did find with this client though was the TWO of the BIG 3 ERRORs:
1) She pried her back before the legs
2) Her back position was given up every time she returned to the catch
If you're new to rowing or just want the overview of form her goes! For more information, check out Shane Farmer in the CrossFit Journal.
Four Phases
1) Catch - Phase where we load up and prepare for the next stroke. Chest close to knees with a flat back. Think about loading a spring and don't give up your POSTURE.
2) Drive - Now you are applying WORK to the machine. Remember it starts with the legs. Connect your hips in place, load up the legs and think Legs - Torso Open - Pull in with the arms.
3) Finish - Elbows should be relaxed and back should be 5-10 degree lean at most. Don't be that guy who gets his hips neutral to his shoulders. It's inefficient. When is laying back flat a strong position? Breaking at the hips when you run. Same deal.
4) Recovery - A lot of athletes want to pull themselves back to the catch phase. This wastes energy. You can't create energy here. Think about relaxing during this phase while maintaining good posture so that the next stroke can be just as strong.
Race Report:
Why are there so many dang 5Ks? To be completely honest it's tough for me to say no so I decide not to and work these races into my TTs and Tempos.
Race: Hilton Head Heritage 5K by On On Tri Sports
Time: 18:09 Place: 1st Overall
Review - came out a little long closer to 3.25miles on my GPS so with that I'm stoked with the finish. Looks like it would have been more like 17:30 at 3.10miles. Not too bad given I did a full session of 7 x 3 Back Squats and two conditioning WODs the day before. Nutrition was also pretty cruddy the night before slogging a couple brews. I like to enjoy myself (within reason) until I get closer to the "A" Race event. At least 2months out the nutrition is completely dialed in.
Oh yeah! Couldn't resist hitting 13.4 WOD after the CFE recovery wod and watching some of the other athletes in our box. I finished with 64 total reps. Happy with that given I maintained technique throughout and hit the 5K in the morning. Most of our top guys finished with 70+ and Mike C picked up 84 reps. Congrats Mike! CFHH Competition team is working hard and looking stronger and stronger these days.
Listening to BMack and Kelly interview this guy was pretty cool. All great athletes are humble and Dean isn't outside that norm. He started the interview and said their is "Magic in Misery" ... I like that because when he went on further Dean mentioned adversity introduces a man to self-discovery. Think about that, when you've been faced with a challenge what did you discovery? If you don't push yourself to failure you're not able to learn.
There are countless experiences in life where we've had epic failures. I remember Boston 2012 when I left the sodium tabs in South Carolina and the time I totaled my car within 1month of having my license. Nice. What's important about these moments is that there's a lot of magic in the misery of each of them. Sure I cried like crazy when I had to tell my parents about the car and of course it sucked not being able to drive for another 6months, but there was magic there. Oh and Boston? Ya it felt great seeing my best friend puking at mile 18 and barely being able to drag myself into the medical tent at the end of the race? Awesome. It took 9 bottles of water before the dizziness and GI problems subside. In each of those moments of misery there was magic.
The magic is...the next time you won't make that mistake again
The magic is...you can share a good laugh with others about how stupid you were
The magic is...others will benefit from what you learned that day
The magic is...you realize that your human and that you make mistakes (wait I'm not superman??)
The magic is...there will always be another shot if you're willing to take it
The magic is...you become stronger and grow
The magic is...you've created a new standard for yourself
The magic is...life provides us the opportunity to fail
You've met those people that get bogged down in their own misery. Don't be that person. Don't look at it that way. What I've learned about life is that the greatest gift of all is this opportunity to fail. Not only because you grow, but you can affect others just like Dean.
The chapters of our lives get more detailed because of this opportunity to fail and although we don't always have complete control over these failures there's so much magic in the misery of them that makes each of our books so interesting... The question is: How will you write your book?
Skill 101: C2 Rower
I had client this week that told me they were "great at rowing" I got excited and said "Well, I can't wait to see your technique!" Just like running its takes very few seconds to see how someone moves. You may not even need to see them run. I know BMack can look at how someone sits and determine it easily. What I did find with this client though was the TWO of the BIG 3 ERRORs:
1) She pried her back before the legs
2) Her back position was given up every time she returned to the catch
If you're new to rowing or just want the overview of form her goes! For more information, check out Shane Farmer in the CrossFit Journal.
Four Phases
1) Catch - Phase where we load up and prepare for the next stroke. Chest close to knees with a flat back. Think about loading a spring and don't give up your POSTURE.
2) Drive - Now you are applying WORK to the machine. Remember it starts with the legs. Connect your hips in place, load up the legs and think Legs - Torso Open - Pull in with the arms.
3) Finish - Elbows should be relaxed and back should be 5-10 degree lean at most. Don't be that guy who gets his hips neutral to his shoulders. It's inefficient. When is laying back flat a strong position? Breaking at the hips when you run. Same deal.
4) Recovery - A lot of athletes want to pull themselves back to the catch phase. This wastes energy. You can't create energy here. Think about relaxing during this phase while maintaining good posture so that the next stroke can be just as strong.
Race Report:
Why are there so many dang 5Ks? To be completely honest it's tough for me to say no so I decide not to and work these races into my TTs and Tempos.
Race: Hilton Head Heritage 5K by On On Tri Sports
Time: 18:09 Place: 1st Overall
Review - came out a little long closer to 3.25miles on my GPS so with that I'm stoked with the finish. Looks like it would have been more like 17:30 at 3.10miles. Not too bad given I did a full session of 7 x 3 Back Squats and two conditioning WODs the day before. Nutrition was also pretty cruddy the night before slogging a couple brews. I like to enjoy myself (within reason) until I get closer to the "A" Race event. At least 2months out the nutrition is completely dialed in.
Oh yeah! Couldn't resist hitting 13.4 WOD after the CFE recovery wod and watching some of the other athletes in our box. I finished with 64 total reps. Happy with that given I maintained technique throughout and hit the 5K in the morning. Most of our top guys finished with 70+ and Mike C picked up 84 reps. Congrats Mike! CFHH Competition team is working hard and looking stronger and stronger these days.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
What are you willing to do?
Last weekend, I was in Cookeville, Tennessee for another stellar CFE seminar. About a couple days before arrival, I realized that this was the home box of two-time winner of the CrossFit games, Rich Froning. Oh yeah and Dan Bailey trains at CrossFit Mayhem too. It was quite surreal to be around the a few of the top games competitors, I quickly figured out that a lot of the other attendees were quite experienced as well. As the weekend rolled on, a theme seemed to develop and it came down to the question ... what are you willing to do?
Athletes and coaches become the best or the top of their class because they're willing to do that much more than the person next to them. With so many passionate people in the CrossFit community, clearly you have to take certain steps to be Elite. To become the best runner or triathlete it certainly takes a few things...
Willingness to learn - when an athlete (or a coach) stops learning or they can become complacent the ability to be truly elite can't happen. We see this in the Endurance community when folks speak of the fact that they didn't do "enough" miles before their last event or "you only did a 10 mile run before your last marathon, that's crazy?" I was actually out to dinner last night and one of my friend's who typically runs 80miles a week said he ran thru the warning signs of a stress fracture. What he assumed is that if he had just scaled it back the fracture would have never occurred. Yep, that's potentially true; however I've talked with these folks about technique and it seems to go right over their heads or not much conversation follows after the first few sentences. Don't get me wrong, CrossFit athletes are guilty of this too, but the fact is elite athletes don't make assumptions, elite athletes have a willingness to learn.
Sleep, Eat, Live - everyone is a little bit different, but Elite athletes understand the amount of sleep they need, what clean eating involves and how they need to live. If you're truly willing to be the best at what you do there's a lot of factors to take into consideration. You have to check in on factors such as RHR when you wake up in the morning, number of hours of sleep, muscle soreness, timing of fats/proteins/carbs, what your day job involves. All of these things add up. Elite athletes make sacrifices, what I know is that they look at all the variables at all times. If you want to improve your 5K time your best bet is to start with the nutrition and then go to the skill components. What's the one thing if you change it will make the biggest impact?
Hydrate and get yourself mobile - in between every lecture presented by BMack and Adam this past weekend, Rich was on the mobility component. Often times we neglect the "not so sexy stuff" meaning mobility versus the metcon or drinking water verses the protein shake. When our fascia gets tight (the connective tissue between our muscles) it restricts movement. When we aren't fully hydrated (even 1-2% dehydrated) there will be a drop in performance. When movement is restricted because of knotted fascia and dehydration the injury cycle can occur. Check out TP Therapy's "Injury Cycle" as I think we can all relate.
All I am saying today is that if you want to be Elite (especially as an endurance athlete) it comes down to what you're willing to do. When you cross the finish line of that next event, ask yourself what you NEED to do different (not could). Were you learning and not assuming in training? Did you sleep, eat clean and factor in life's stress's? How about the hydration and mobility? Cassidy Phillips says "What you tolerate you accept." don't tolerate skipping these variables.
At the end of the day, when all these angles are looked at it'll come down to who has the greater ability to suffer. All you can do is prepare.
This Weekend's RACES:
8am 3/23
Team Less Miles More CrossFit - 6 Athletes
WOD for Maureen 5K - Truly inspirational morning. There were roughly 150 CrossFit Athletes who completed the WOD along with 6 boxes represented. The event was a fundraiser to benefit Maureen Tefft with Bluffton Crossfit. Maureen was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioma brain cancer. Their phrase, One CrossFit. One Family. Without a doubt true yesterday morning.
"Maureen"
30 KB Swings #53
1/2 mile
30 Burpees
3/4 mile
30 OHS Lunges #45
3/4 mile
30 Squats
1/2 mile
30 Push Ups
3/4 mile
30 SDHP #53
Finish
6:15PM 8/23
Beaufort Twilight Run 5K/8K - Results
Team Less Miles More CrossFit - 2 athletes
It was only Lindsay and I who competed, but she ended up PRing her 5K by 1minute running 20:36 2nd overall, and 34:11 1st age group 4th overall in the 8K run. Lindsay will be running her first full marathon and continues to PR almost every time she shows up to a race.
After finishing the Maureen WOD 5K in 25:02 earlier in the day (1st overall finish) I posted a 29:59 and was totally stoked given the calves and hamstrings were a little shot. the 6min mile pace was good enough for 1st in my age group and 12th overall.
All and all another solid weekend!
Athletes and coaches become the best or the top of their class because they're willing to do that much more than the person next to them. With so many passionate people in the CrossFit community, clearly you have to take certain steps to be Elite. To become the best runner or triathlete it certainly takes a few things...
Willingness to learn - when an athlete (or a coach) stops learning or they can become complacent the ability to be truly elite can't happen. We see this in the Endurance community when folks speak of the fact that they didn't do "enough" miles before their last event or "you only did a 10 mile run before your last marathon, that's crazy?" I was actually out to dinner last night and one of my friend's who typically runs 80miles a week said he ran thru the warning signs of a stress fracture. What he assumed is that if he had just scaled it back the fracture would have never occurred. Yep, that's potentially true; however I've talked with these folks about technique and it seems to go right over their heads or not much conversation follows after the first few sentences. Don't get me wrong, CrossFit athletes are guilty of this too, but the fact is elite athletes don't make assumptions, elite athletes have a willingness to learn.
Sleep, Eat, Live - everyone is a little bit different, but Elite athletes understand the amount of sleep they need, what clean eating involves and how they need to live. If you're truly willing to be the best at what you do there's a lot of factors to take into consideration. You have to check in on factors such as RHR when you wake up in the morning, number of hours of sleep, muscle soreness, timing of fats/proteins/carbs, what your day job involves. All of these things add up. Elite athletes make sacrifices, what I know is that they look at all the variables at all times. If you want to improve your 5K time your best bet is to start with the nutrition and then go to the skill components. What's the one thing if you change it will make the biggest impact?
Hydrate and get yourself mobile - in between every lecture presented by BMack and Adam this past weekend, Rich was on the mobility component. Often times we neglect the "not so sexy stuff" meaning mobility versus the metcon or drinking water verses the protein shake. When our fascia gets tight (the connective tissue between our muscles) it restricts movement. When we aren't fully hydrated (even 1-2% dehydrated) there will be a drop in performance. When movement is restricted because of knotted fascia and dehydration the injury cycle can occur. Check out TP Therapy's "Injury Cycle" as I think we can all relate.
All I am saying today is that if you want to be Elite (especially as an endurance athlete) it comes down to what you're willing to do. When you cross the finish line of that next event, ask yourself what you NEED to do different (not could). Were you learning and not assuming in training? Did you sleep, eat clean and factor in life's stress's? How about the hydration and mobility? Cassidy Phillips says "What you tolerate you accept." don't tolerate skipping these variables.
At the end of the day, when all these angles are looked at it'll come down to who has the greater ability to suffer. All you can do is prepare.
This Weekend's RACES:
8am 3/23
Team Less Miles More CrossFit - 6 Athletes
WOD for Maureen 5K - Truly inspirational morning. There were roughly 150 CrossFit Athletes who completed the WOD along with 6 boxes represented. The event was a fundraiser to benefit Maureen Tefft with Bluffton Crossfit. Maureen was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioma brain cancer. Their phrase, One CrossFit. One Family. Without a doubt true yesterday morning.
"Maureen"30 KB Swings #53
1/2 mile
30 Burpees
3/4 mile
30 OHS Lunges #45
3/4 mile
30 Squats
1/2 mile
30 Push Ups
3/4 mile
30 SDHP #53
Finish
6:15PM 8/23
Beaufort Twilight Run 5K/8K - Results
Team Less Miles More CrossFit - 2 athletes
It was only Lindsay and I who competed, but she ended up PRing her 5K by 1minute running 20:36 2nd overall, and 34:11 1st age group 4th overall in the 8K run. Lindsay will be running her first full marathon and continues to PR almost every time she shows up to a race.
After finishing the Maureen WOD 5K in 25:02 earlier in the day (1st overall finish) I posted a 29:59 and was totally stoked given the calves and hamstrings were a little shot. the 6min mile pace was good enough for 1st in my age group and 12th overall.
All and all another solid weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)